Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson at the opening session of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Owen Jones (Labour’s plans for democracy must begin at home, 20 September) is right that to be a fully democratic party Labour should require the formal reselection, by local party members, of parliamentary candidates before every Westminster election. But such a requirement, in itself, doesn’t go far enough.

Is a hostile activists’ meeting, like the one in which Enfield North MP Joan Ryan lost a recent no-confidence vote, the kind of context befitting a truly democratic party? Should only Labour members confident enough to brave animosity be allowed a vote? If reselection votes were open to all constituency party members and conducted by post or online, there may be less suspicion that the process is designed to weed out any MP who doesn’t toe the Momentum line.Harvey WoolfeTwickenham

• Owen Jones says “socialism is about the democratisation of every level of society”, but limits his discussion of Labour efforts to widen participation and choice to the party’s internal procedures.

But if “Labour’s mission is to democratise Britain”, it’s not enough to give several hundred party members the power to dismiss or sustain sitting Labour MPs, if many thousands of voters in safe Labour seats then have no effective choice in who represents them. Vanguard parties make choices on behalf of the voters; democratic parties offer the voters effective and informed choices. Where are the signs that Labour activists like him place as much importance on widening democratic choice for everyone as they do for their fellow activists within the party?William WallaceLiberal Democrats, House of Lords

• Owen Jones is right: for sitting MPs to presume their candidacy is for life, demonstrates an absurd sense of entitlement. All candidates should be selected in advance of a general election by as many supporters or members of their party as possible. Even the US holds primaries – this should be part of our electoral system.Peter McKennaLiverpool

• In saying that reselection would draw MPs’ attention away from Westminster (Labour delegates back Momentum on MP reselection, 17 September), Rebecca Long-Bailey hits one nail on its head. The belief that politics is all about Westminster is responsible for much of the current discontent in the country. The MPs who are working with local party members to deal with issues in their constituency will get the backing of most of those members almost irrespective of their stance on specific Westminster issues.Jeremy DaleGlossop, Derbyshire

• We, as local representatives of the Labour party, support the current open selection campaign to enable all ordinary party members to select – and indeed, reselect – their parliamentary candidates democratically.

The root of all power bestowed on every single elected representative of the Labour party derives ultimately from ordinary grassroots members. It is their decision to lend us the privilege of wearing the red rosette, and their hard work enables us to bring our arguments to the public. Such basic truth is sometimes forgotten by some, who wishfully ascribe their position to their individual merit, talent or view rather than because of the party’s collective wisdom and hope that they represent.

Though it is one of the greatest honours to be selected by your Labour party peers to represent them, greater still is when members reaffirm their confidence in you by reselecting you. The Labour party should now refresh the tree of democracy, and strengthen the sacred bonds between party members and those whom they choose to represent them by instituting open selection.